Fair, 54°
Weather sponsored by:

Sabino-less Raiders teeter to playoff loss

By Randy Lefko Sports Editor
Posted 2/23/22

ORANGE PARK - All season, all one heckuva of a season, the Orange Park High basketball team has ridden the shoulders of their Superman, senior Josiah Sabino, to the brinks of tight games, blowouts …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

Don't have an ID?


Print subscribers

If you're a print subscriber, but do not yet have an online account, click here to create one.

Non-subscribers

Click here to see your options for subscribing.

Single day pass

You also have the option of purchasing 24 hours of access, for $1.00. Click here to purchase a single day pass.

Sabino-less Raiders teeter to playoff loss


Posted

ORANGE PARK - All season, all one heckuva of a season, the Orange Park High basketball team has ridden the shoulders of their Superman, senior Josiah Sabino, to the brinks of tight games, blowouts and even losses and the final stage was set Friday night in the RaiderDome for Sabino to push his Raiders into NeverNeverLand.

“He played as hard as anyone could ask, but it is what it is,” said Orange Park coach Derek Kurnitsky, who had to strategize against a fourth foul third quarter, a fourth quarter fifth foul and a Ribault High team that was injected with a syringe of “Let’s Go Now” in the fourth quarter to the tune of a 25-12 stanza and a 65-59 region 1-5A quarterfinal win over the Raiders. Orange Park finishes at 23-5 with a district championship trophy.

With the Raiders keeping Ribault, led by the strong inside game of senior Antonio Sheffield’s 19 points; eight in the fourth quarter, hit their overdrive the moment Sabino fouled out early in the fourth quarter to surge away from a game Raiders team.

“Tommy Faucett and Jeremiah Garcia were not about to surrender,” said Kurnitsky. “We stayed close, but Josiah is the difference maker in the end.”

Orange Park led at the end of each of the three first quarters; 15-14, 13-10 and 19-16 to enter the fourth up 47-40.

In the final minute of the third, up 43-38, Gabriel launched a jumper to push the Raiders to 45-38 with guard Kevin Montorola pacing the Raider defense on top of the key to keep Ribault at bay.

“We got seven returners coming back from a great season and all of them are gym rats,” said Kurnitsky. “We’ll be back in the gym next week.”

In the final 10 seconds, Montorola canned a buzzer beater to 47-40 that erupted the RaiderDome gym.

With Sabino still seated as the fourth quarter started, Kurnitsky was looking for Montorola and Garcia to exact defensive pressure before unleashing Sabino for a final scoring run.

“I had to keep him out for as long as we were still playing our game,” said Kurnitsky. “This entire team is solid top to bottom, but Ribault smelled blood in the water with Josiah sitting. They knew this was their opportunity.”

Ribault’s fourth quarter hung on a sixth team foul early in the fourth and with the Raider defense; Deandre Dickerson and Montorola at the point, keeping Ribault out of the paint and Orange Park free throws pushing the game to 50-40 with 5:48 to go.

Sabino returned to the floor near the five minute mark.

“We needed to turn the defense into offense,” said Kurnitsky, now in team foul trouble that gave away free throws to Ribault. “We knew they were double and triple teaming him and that could create opportunity.”

Dickerson ripped a three pointer on the next sequence to 53-42 with the Raiders getting a jolt of Sabino in the mix.

Sabino got tagged at 4:31 with his fifth foul with Ribault hitting two sets of free throws and a jumper to 53-48 with 4:20 to go.

At 3:18, Sheffield took over the paint to push Ribault to 55-51 with a jumper and free throws.

The game teetered at 55-53 to 2:09 to go before Kurnitsky called a time out to reevaluate.

“They were getting momentum and we needed to find something to slow them down,” said Kurnitsky. “What an emotional rollercoaster at that point.”

Two free throws by Orange Park got a response of a quick drive layup for Ribault to 57-55 with Gabriel driving to 59-55 with one minute on the clock.

A blocking foul on Gabriel was his fifth and took him from the court at 55 seconds.

Ribault hit a three pointer to push the pace on the return to play with Sheffield hitting a jumper to put Ribault up 60-59 with 30 seconds to go.

Orange Park hit 10 team fouls at 27 seconds giving up two free throws on each foul with Ribault hitting two to go up 62-59. A steal to layup went 64-59 for Ribault in the final seconds with Sheffield canning one of two final frees for the final score.